Latch foe



EUGENE J'. MOYNIHAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

LATCH roa DREDGER-BUGKETS.

Application filed July 13, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, EUGENE J. MOYNIHAN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Latches forDredger- Buckets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in latches for dredger buckets andthe like wherein a bar operates in conjunction with anti-friction meansto eliminate undue friction occasioned by the weight of the contents onthe bucket bottom.

In the present state of the art latches are generally formed by means ofa bar longitudinally mounted within a pair of parallel stirrups, whichbecome disalined after a period of usage and no longer maintain a truebearing for the bar forming the latch. These stirrups comprise twopieces and extend'l-aterally from the bar and parallel to each other.When some of the rivets or other securing means become loosened throughwear or usage the bar-supporting means no longer form a true sup-port toguide the latch and said latch occasionally binds, which, taken inconnection with the excessive weight of the material within the bucket,so effectively resists a movement of the bar that it is sometimesdifficult or impossible to operate it.

In the present invention I propose to provide a latch wherein one framemember is provided with a series of alined apertures within which thebar is mounted thereby providing an integral support for said bar whichcannot become disalined with the aperture in the bucket engaged by thelatch to retain the bottom of' said bucket in a closed position.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a simple latchcomposed of the least possible number of pieces and capable of beingmounted within a comparatively narrow or small space such as the back ofa narrow strengthening rib or strut on the lower surface of the hingedbottom of the bucket.

Another object of the invention is to form a single supporting member insuch a manner that anti-friction rollers may be interposed to supportthe entire weight of the bucket bottom and thereby reduce to a minimumthe friction occasioned by the weight of material in the bucket, saidrollers being Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1919.

Serial No. 245,776.

arranged to roll with the movement of the bar and provided with simplemeans for preventing their longitudinal movement.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a latch of thecharacter described wherein the latch and supporting rollers will beautomatically retained in their proper positions for engaging the bucketby the action of gravity when the door or bottom of the bucket is openedand swinging freely from said bucket.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described having a few and simple parts, requiring a minimumspace on the bottom of the bucket bottom, and having a maximumefliciency.

I accomplish these several objects by means of the construction in thedrawings forming a part of the present specification wherein likecharacters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughoutthe said specifications and drawings, and in which Figure 1 is a brokensectional view of a portion of a dredger bucket and hinged bottomthereof and disclosing my improved latch applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a bottom and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken online 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 is used to designate the lowerfront portion of a dredger bucket having the usual aperture 2 forengagement with the end of the latch on the bottom of said bucket.

The bottom 3 of the bucket 2, which is usually hinged to the bucket 1,in the present invention is provided with a latch frame 4.- havingpreferably three lateral extensions or portions 5 each apertured as at6, within which apertures 6 a bar 7 is slidably mounted having a beveledend 8 for engagement with the aperture 2 in the lower front portion ofthe bucket 1.

The frame 4: is also provided with a portion 9 spaced apart from andparallel with the bottom 3 of the bucket 1. Between this spaced apartportion 9 and the under side of the bar 7 I have provided a roller 10having annular flanges 11 formed on each end thereof to preventlongitudinal movement of said roller 10.

A second roller 12 also provided with annular flanges 13 is mountedbetween the upper surface of the bar 7 and the bottom 3 plan view ofFig. 1;

of the bucket 1, or that portion ofthe frame 4 adjacent thereto, at apoint between the first mentioned roller 10 and the bucket engaging orbeveled end of the bar.7.

A suitable pin 14: is secured laterally through the bar between two ofthe lateral extensions or portions 5 of the frame 1 to.

, projected too'far through the said aperture2. v

llhe end of the bar 7 opposite the engaging end is provided with aneyelet or aperture 16 to which the usual operating line may be attached.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings it will be seen that the directionof forces or pressure upon the bar 7 maybe compared to the power, weightand fulcrum respectively, of a lever in which the engaging end of saidbar 7 is the fulcrum, the point of contact with the roller 12 theweight, and the point of contact with the roller 10 the power of thelever.

The flanges 11 and 13 of the rollers 10 V and 12 respectively prevent alongitudinal movement of the saidrollers' as said flanges engage thesides of the frame 4 and the bar 7 during any movement. a

When the latch or bar 7 is moved to disengage it from the aperture 2 ofthe bucket 1 the rollers 10 and 12 move in the same direction and thisrolling contact considerably reduces the excessive friction caused bythe weight of material on the bucket bot-tom 8, thereby permitting thelatch to be easily removed with comparatively little energy.

When the bucket 1 is again lowered to scoop up the next load the forwardend is generally lowermost which causes the bar 7 to be inclinedwith thebeveled end 8 thereof lowermost. Gravity will then cause the bar 7 andthe rollers 10 and 12 to move to the positions indicated in Fig. 10f thedrawings and as the bottom is swung into a closed position the beveledend 8' of the bar 7 is engaged by thelowermost edge of the bucket 1thereby receding said bar" 7 until the beveled end 8 thereof registerswith the aperture 2 when gravity will again move the bar into engagingrelation with said aper' ture 2 and cause the rollers 10 and 12 to assume their proper positions.

It is obvious that from the foregoing that I have provided an improvedlatch for dredge/r buckets and the like wherein a simple and eflic'ientconstruction renders a maxibottom thereof in a closed position, and

anti-friction rollers mounted between the spaced apart portion of theframe and the bottom of the bar and between the said bar and the bottomof the dredger bucket bottom.

2. The combination with a' dredger bucket of a frame mounted upon thelower surfaces of the bucket bottom and having apertured portionsextending laterally from said bottom and a portion spaced apart from andparallel with said bottom; a bar slidably mounted within the aperturesand arranged to engage an aperture in said bucket to support the bottomthereof in a closed position; and anti-friction rollers mounted betweenthe spaced apart portion of the frameand the bottom of the bar andbetween the said bar and the bottom of the dredger bottom; and meanssecured to the rollers to prevent the same from moving longitudinally. Ie

3. The combination with a dredger bucket of a. frame mounted upon thelower surface of the bucket bottom and having apertured portionsextending laterally from said bot tom and a portion spaced apart fromand parallel with said bottom; a bar slidably mounted within theapertures and arranged to engage an aperture in said bucket to supportthe bottom thereof in a closed position; and anti-friction rollersmounted between the spaced apart portion of the frame and the bottom ofthe bar andbetween the said bar and the bottom of thedredger bottom; andannular flanges formed on each end of the rolls to engage .the sides ofthe bar and frame within which it is mounted to prevent longitudinalmovement of the said'rollers.

4. The combination with a dredger bucket of a frame mounted upon thelower surface of the bucket bottom and having apertured portionsextending laterally from said bottom and a portion spaced apart from andparallel with said bottom; a bar slidably mounted within the aperturesand arranged to engage an aperture in said bucket to support the bottomthereof in a closed position; anti-friction rollers mounted between thespaced apart portion of the frame an-dthe bottom of the bar and betweenthe said bar and the bottom of the dredger bottom.

5. The combination with a dredgerbucket and hinged bottom therefor of aframe mounted upon the lower surface of said bottom and having aperturedlateral extensions and a portion spaced apart from and parallel withsaid bottom; a bar beveled at one end to engage an aperture in thebucket to support the bottom thereof in a closed posi tion and slidablymounted within the apertures in the lateral extensions; a roller flangedat each end and mounted between the lower side of the bar and the spacedapart portion of the frame; a second flanged roller mounted between theupper surface of the bar and the bottom of the bucket at a point betweenthe first mentioned roller and the bucket engaging end of the bar; andmeans for limiting a longitudinal movement of the bar.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my signature.

EUGENE J. MOYNIHAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Yatents Washington, D. G.

